Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced the recipients of its latest round of food safety research grants. The nearly $19 million awarded to 36 institutions
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Agencies Reach Catfish Inspection Agreement Required by Farm Bill
After the 2008 Farm Bill moved the responsibility for catfish inspection from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over to USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the two agencies did not play nice
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‘Historic Wins’ for Organic Industry in New Farm Bill
“Like being thrown under the bus” was how organic farmers and others in the industry described their fate a little more than a year ago when Congress failed to agree on a new farm bill
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Obama Signs Farm Bill Into Law
President Barack Obama signed the Agriculture Act of 2014 – better known as the farm bill – into law on Friday at Michigan State University in East Lansing. In his speech before the signing, Obama
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Farm Bill 2014: FSIS Inspection Must Satisfy FDA Requirements?
I am betting your response to the headline was the same as when I read the news: HUH? The proposed Farm Bill has finally gathered the bicameral and bipartisan support of a conference committee. 
Food
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U.S. Catfish Farmers Emerge As Big Winners in 2014 Farm Bill
The USDA catfish inspection program, first authorized in 2008, is continued in the 2014 farm bill, which also includes a first-of-its-kind “crop insurance” program for catfish farmers. Most of the so-called political experts were predicting
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Farm Bill: No Repeal of Country-of-Origin Labeling
Livestock groups are expressing disappointment that “a fix” to country-of-origin labeling (COOL) was not included in the final farm bill and warning that they plan to actively oppose its passage through Congress. “COOL is a
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Finally, a Farm Bill
Congressional negotiators finally reached agreement on a new farm bill on Monday evening. A press release issued by the office of U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, hailed the agreement
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Congress Might Vote Next Week on Much-Delayed Farm Bill
A U.S. House of Representatives vote on what was once going to be the 2012 Farm Bill might occur as early as Wednesday. The much-delayed bill may finally get to the floor as a conference
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Advocates Ask Congress Not to Change Origin Labeling in Farm Bill
As the farm bill conference wears on, various Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) advocates are calling on Congress not to make changes to the rule that would limit source information. On Wednesday, 96 farm, ranch,
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